SXSW Baby! Film

SXSWclick finalists announced

2008-06-27T17:45:00Z

SXSWclick, the itty-bitty online film festival from the folks at SXSW, has posted the finalists in the 2008 competition. There’s some fun and intriguing stuff here, and you can have your say by voting for your favorites (up to once daily) until July 27 in the Popularity Contest. Winners in all categories, including the Grand Jury prize, will be announced August 1.

Moby at SXSW 2008

2008-05-04T21:47:00Z

Here’s a great short video interview with artist Moby at this year’s festival, including information about his effort to release free music for indie filmmakers on his site.

Moby at SXSW 2008 from Nadia M. on Vimeo.

SXSWclick is calling—for entries!

2008-04-28T18:10:00Z

Attention camera jockeys: Today is the official “call for entries” for SXSWclick, “a year-round initiative created to showcase short-form storytelling via mobile devices and the web”. In other words, it’s an online film festival of sorts, accepting entries in five categories: narrative shorts, documentary shorts, animation, music videos and our favorite category, “What the F*#!?”. (That’s, er, “what the film?!”.) Submissions must be no longer than 10 minutes and uploaded no later than June 13.

Check out last year’s winners and get all the info here to craft your submission for the fifth annual festival.

Matt Dentler Leaving SXSW

2008-04-15T16:58:00Z

Matt Dentler, the director of the SXSW Film Festival since 2003, is moving on. As of May 1st, Matt will take up a new post as head of marketing and programming operations within the new Cinetic Rights Management unit at Cinetic Media. Though it will involve a move to New York, here’s hoping he’ll be back next year and able to actually enjoy himself for a few days in March.

Taking over for Matt will be Janet Pierson, a fellow board member from the Austin Film Society. Along with her husband John, she has more than 20 years of experience helping independent films find audiences. Janet and John and their children were the subjects of a film themselves in 2005’s Reel Paradise, in which they move to Fiji for a year to operate a cinema. Having seen that film, I would suggest that Janet Pierson is more than capable of handling a challenge. I look forward to seeing what next year’s festival will bring.

Congratulations and good luck to both Matt and Janet!

It’s a sickness

2008-03-30T20:30:00Z

Aside from a ton of inspiration and memories of much great music, some folks returned home from SXSW with a little something extra: a pernicious flu bug. The not-medical-professionals at SXSW Scurvy are dedicated to tracking the epidemiology of the little virus that could and sharing remedies.

Give Your Feedback

2008-03-20T14:55:00Z

If you were an Interactive, Film, Music, Gold, or Platinum registrant at SXSW 2008 this year, look in your inboxes for a feedback survey from SXSW. Do fill out the form and let SXSW know how your experience went, from your hotel accomodations to the Convention Center layout to the helpfulness of the staff, and more.

If you were an Interactive attendee and want to hash your SXSW out on the Baby! Boards, feel free to add your feedback and continue the discussion.

Save the Date for SXSW 2009

2008-03-17T17:39:00Z

SXSW 2009 is scheduled for March 13 - 22, 2009:

Interactive: Friday March 13 through Tuesday March 17
Film: Friday March 13 through Sunday March 22
Music: Wednesday March 18 through Sunday March 22

Looks like we’ll miss out on the Daylight Saving Time change, but St. Patrick’s day will fall upon the last day of the Interactive conference. Registration opens sometime in August; look for a reminder in your inbox if you’re a previous registrant.

Set up a reminder in your calendars now. Don’t forget to register early for the lowest badge rates and the widest range of hotel options—the most inexpensive hotels tend to sell out fast!

More win: SXSW Film 2008

2008-03-16T11:12:00Z

Keep an eye out for these at the cinema: the winners of the 2008 SXSW Film Festival.

All About the ACC Wireless

2008-03-06T22:46:00Z

How do you get online while at SXSW? Go to the Austin Convention Center for complimentary wireless internet access.

While you are attending SXSW, please feel free to connect to the WiFi Network. There are two WiFi Networks:

SXSW2008

SXSW2008 5GHz

The SXSW2008 5GHz network is the higher performance network with more channels and faster speeds. If a WiFi device sees the SXSW2008 5GHz network please select it. These are the only official networks for internet access at the Austin Convention Center.

Please note that personal access points are not allowed. SXSW asks that you only use the connection for blogging, email, surfing and other general low bandwidth applications, not for downloading, streaming, or any peer-to-peer applications. Learn more about wireless internet access at the ACC.

Badge Pick Up Times

2008-03-06T20:24:00Z

SXSW Registrants should use the Convention Center entrance at 4th and Neches—directly across the street from the Hilton Hotel. To receive your SXSW Badge, you must bring your confirmation letter and a valid government-issued ID. Bring a pen, too! Lines can be long. Here’s what the ACC looks like.

Friday March 7th: 10 am to 8 pm
Saturday March 8th: 9 am to 8 pm
Sunday March 9th: 9:30 am to 6 pm
Monday March 10th: 9:30 am to 6 pm
Tuesday March 11th: 10 am to 8 pm
Wednesday March 12th: 10 am to Midnight
Thursday March 13th: 9 am to 10 pm
Friday March 14th: 10 am to 9 pm

Attention Music Conference/Festival attendees: the lines to get your badge are always longest the day the Music Fest starts—the afternoon of Wednesday March 12, 2008. If possible, come in on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 and get your badge before closing (8pm). As a bonus, on that day, your Music badge will admit also you to SXSW Film Fest screenings in the Convention Center.

Any questions?

2008-03-05T18:18:00Z

Crowdsourced Q&A site Fluther has created a special ad-free subsite to aggregate questions related to SXSW. Right now, accounts created on the separate SXSW site don’t tie in with existing Fluther accounts, but Fluther fella Ben Finkel says that’ll change after the festivals.

This is our first specialized version of Fluther. It operates on a different database and server, so new user accounts don’t go back and forth. Our plan is to migrate all the new sxsw users over to the main Fluther after SXSW is over.

It’s a little bit of an experiment for us, but SXSW seemed like a great time to try something new and also provide users with an opportunity to really help each other out.

Also note that if you visit sxsw.fluther.com on an iPhone, the site automatically redirects to an iPhone-specific version of the main site, from which they doesn’t seem to be any way to reach the SXSW site. No doubt they’ll shake the bugs out as the week wear on.

Of course, SXSW questions are the order of the day here at the Baby!, too, in The Baby! Boards. Ask away!

Films Free for Interactive Badges: Blip Festival, Second Skin, Nerdcore Rising

2008-03-05T05:39:00Z

SXSW has just announced that three geek-related films will have screenings open to SXSWi badgeholders. Hooray! You can catch these SXSW Film screenings for free:

Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet, “a feature length documentary which delves into the movement known as ChipTunes, a vibrant underground scene based around creating new, original music using old video game hardware.” It’s showing Monday, 3/10, 12:00 PM at the Dobie, 2021 Guadalupe Street
Second Skin, “an intimate, disturbing look at computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by the emerging genre of computer games called Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMOs).” Catch it Tuesday, 3/11, at 7:45 PM at the Austin Convention Center
Nerdcore Rising, “a documentary that uncovers a new wave of hip-hop called nerdcore.” Watch it Tuesday, 3/11 at 10:30 PM at the Alamo Lamar 2, 1120 S. Lamar

Unfortunately, the Dobie and Alamo Lamar aren’t really within walking distance of downtown, so take a cab if you’re planning to attend. Learn more about the Film Festival venues from Slackerwood. Badge-holders should arrive early to guarantee a seat (approximately 45-60 minutes). Half an hour before a screening, empty theater seats will then be filled by pass-holders, and then later single-admission ticket holders.

The SXSW Baby! Checklist 2008: What to Pack, To-Dos, Tips, Tricks, and Things to Remember

2008-03-04T18:31:00Z

It’s almost time for SXSW! But before you leave, here’s a few things you should remember to bring, do, and buy before you leave for Austin....

LAPTOP: It seems like a no-brainer to bring your computer with you to SXSW. However, you may not want to lug it around while you’re out and about having fun, especially at night. Many people who attend SXSW Interactive prefer leaving their laptops in their hotel rooms, preferring to focus on non-computer activities during the day. Close the laptop, and you might end up learning more and having more fun! But if you absolutely must do some work, there is also abundant and free wireless throughout Austin, like the hotspot in the Downtown Hilton’s lobby. (Personally, I’d hike it out to Halcyon, Jo’s, or The Hideout instead.) Bring any other tech bibs and bobs you can’t live without. Additionally, it might help to clear off some hard drive space and backup your files before you arrive in case you plan on downloading photos to your computer, etc.
CHARGER, POWER STRIP, EXTENSION CORD, ETHERNET CABLE: Don’t be an outlet hog. If your Apple computer’s power brick covers up free outlets, please bring an extension cord. Bring a power strip, if you’re got one, and you’ll be the most popular kid on the block during Interactive. Always Be Charging. Always Be Charging. The Convention Center never seems to have enough handy outlets (and your hotel room might not either). Note that wireless connectivity in the Convention Center can be spotty due to the huge number of people connected at once. Some folks like to bring an ethernet cord, just in case, so they can plug into the wall at the ACC. Each night, before you go to bed, do remember to charge your essential gadgets, like your phone. There’s nothing worse than having a dead or dying phone at SXSW.
LAPTOP BATTERY: Don’t forget your batteries! Put it in a plastic bag if you’re going to check it! Effective January 1, 2008, the Department of Transportation (DOT) will no longer allow loose lithium batteries in checked baggage.
SWAG: Self-promotional items: got business cards? Moo cards? Stickers? Buttons? Other swag? Bring it! People love free stuff, and that’s how they’ll remember you after SXSW is over.
(NOT TOO FULL) LUGGAGE: Don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for all the extra swag you may be bringing home with you.
CAMERA: Digital camera with extra memory cards and charged batteries. And the battery charger, if necessary. And a camera cable or card reader to transfer images. Again, it might help to clear off some hard drive space (and do a backup) before you arrive. Oh, and do turn off the sound on your camera. Nothing says “I’m taking a picture of the panel!” like hearing those little beeps.
CAMERA BATTERY: same goes for camera batteries. If it’s lithium, put it in a separate plastic baggie.
CAMERAPHONE AND FLICKR: iPhone/PDA/Treo/Blackberry and attendant charger. Turn off any annoying sounds or embarrassing notification sounds, or else you’ll drive everyone around you insane from hearing those little iPhone typing sounds or an SMS notification wind chime. Before you leave, set your smartphone up to email photographs to Flickr. I like to set it up so that Flickr automatically adds a “sxsw” or “sxsw 2008” tag, too. Also note that cellular connectivity in the Convention Center can be unreliable due to the huge number of cell phones in one location. I’m guessing AT&T will definitely be spotty with all those iPhones in one confined area at the same time… so don’t be surprised if you can’t get onto Edge.
SXSW MOBILE SITES AND SXSW SMS: Don’t forget to bookmark:
- the official mobile site sxsw.mobi
- The iPhone-formatted SXSW Interactive schedule
- the SXSW Interactive Companion at webclips2go.com/sxsw08
- the iPhone-formatted Music Schedule at sxswinfo.com
- Your personalized SXSW Calendar at calendar.sxsw.com/myevents
- You might also want to bookmark istwitterdown.com
Don’t forget to sign up for the SXSW SMS list. Simply text “join” to 47979. You can also look up panels, films, and bands via SMS. Text ‘find panelname’ or ‘find bandname’ or ‘find filmname’ to 47979 to get schedule listings. Adding the short code to your address book makes it even faster!
DODGEBALL: Configure Dodgeball to say that you’re in Austin. The short code for Dodgeball is 36343 ("dodge"). Send “switch austin” to Dodgeball to change cities. Broadcast your whereabouts to your friends by sending “@place name” and broadcast a message to all your friends by sending “! your message here” to Dodgeball. “Off,” which turns Dodgeball off to the night, and “locate,” which tells you where your friends last checked in at, are handy commands, too.
UPCOMING: Community event site upcoming.yahoo.com is a must if you’re attending SXSW Interactive, as many of the official and unofficial evening events and parties are listed there. Other attendees also self-organize outings to go bowling, visit the Rodeo, or meet like-minded folks. So don’t forget to RSVP to all the cool parties! And sign up for Kick! while you’re at it.
TWITTER: Twitter is basically the easiest way to keep in touch with your fellow SXSWers, but people at SXSW are a chatty bunch. I’m hesitant about allowing Twitter to send my friend’s updates to my phone this year, given the high volume of messages sent out last year. Bookmark the mobile Twitter site, m.twitter.com in case the volume gets too high. And if you do have SMS updates on, I recommend setting Twitter off during sleeping hours, say between 1 AM and 8 AM. If you don’t have SMS updates on, you might also want to turn on direct message forwarding to SMS. I hope you all increased your SMS plans with your cellular provider already! You may also want to warn your Twitter friends that you’re going to SXSW, and that it’s OK to unsubscribe from you for a little while. Hint: if you’re on AT&T, dial *DATA# to see your remaining text messages for this billing cycle.
PHONE ADDRESS BOOK: Enter in the numbers of folks to meet up with (handy to have in case SMS or email is too slow). The SXSW Headquarters line is (512) 467-7979. Also enter in the phone number to your hotel’s front desk and airline customer support numbers and bookmark Orbitz Mobile, for airport delay information and flight status, if you’re flying into AUS. I would also add a few Austin taxi companies into your phone, like Austin Yellow Checker Cab, at (512) 452-9999, Austin Cab Company at (512) 478-2222, and Lone Star Cab at (512) 836-4900. In Austin, I’ve had bad luck trying to hail a cab from the street (unlike NYC) so calling ahead is always, always recommended. And in the rare instance that you want to call 411, use Google’s free 411 service, at (800) 466-4411.
CONFIRMATION EMAILS AND SUCH: Just to be safe, bring printouts of your flight itinerary, SXSW 2008 registration confirmation email, hotel confirmation email, the SXSW Baby! guide on where to eat during SXSW 2008, perhaps a downtown Austin map, and schedules for public transit options like the free Dillo or inexpensive Airport Flyer. Just in case.
MAPS OF FILM AND MUSIC VENUES: You can also print out film venues and music venues [PDF] if necessary. Hint: if you bought a Badge, they will give you this stuff in the Big Bag. Look for the pocket guide inside the tote bag. If you only have a film pass or music wristband, or are winging it, you should print out the maps for yourself.
YOUR PERSONALIZED SXSW CALENDAR: By now you probably have a tentative schedule of panels, keynotes, screenings, parties, music showcases, unofficial events, sightseeing, and more from the Personalized SXSW Calendar (you can any event using the “add to calendar” link) or your sched.org calendar. Print it out and/or sync it to your iPhone/PDA/etc. Google also recently introduced gCal sync with Outlook if you’re wondering how to get .ics files into your Outlook; use the “Import Calendar” function. Make sure you have the correct time zone chosen for Austin. I find it’s always good to have a paper copy, just in case. Do one last sweep of the schedule, knowing you may not make it to 50% of the stuff you choose. What you really need at SXSW is both your personal picks and the master lists and schedules. Bring your Plan B, and Plan C, and Plan D, and the knowledge that any of your plans may fly out the window the minute you wake up. Be flexible, but bring a game plan. If you’re really dying to get into something (especially a popular panel or small-capacity party), arrive early.
FREE PARTIES LIST FOR MUSIC: Print out the free day time events from Austin showlist (highly recommended). The Austin showlist has printable pages! Look for the “printable” links above each day. Also, bring pens and a highlighter so you can easily choose what you want to see. I recommend printing out the entire schedule from showlistaustin.com since plans can change very quickly. It’s way easier to make plans for the day during breakfast or find a backup party if you have the entire Showlist schedule with you. As I mentioned earliier, you really need both your personal picks and the master Austin showlist and evening schedules on hand.
MP3 PLAYER: For the plane, an mp3 player, filled with a ton of music from the the unofficial SXSW BitTorrent file. And don’t forget your charger for that device, either!
GOOD SHOES: Wear the most comfortable shoes you own. Now is not the time to break in new shoes. You will be standing, a lot, especially if you’re doing SXSW Music. Purchase padded insoles, for shock absorption. Bring multiple pairs of comfortable shoes, so you can air them out and alternate. Closed-toe shoes work better, because Sixth Street gets dirty, and the bars are crowded. Sometimes it rains, so don’t bring any shoes that bleed if they get wet. Leave those flimsy slippers and smelly flip-flops at home.
EARPLUGS: Bring good ear plugs. I like to bring multiple pairs, in case you lose one earplug or have a friend who is unprepared. They don’t take up space, so why not bring the entire box? This is especially important for the Music Festival. And who knows how good thick walls of your hotel room are?
A RESTED BODY: Get plenty of sleep before SXSW because you’re going to need it. If you arrive in Austin tired, you’re only going to get more tired.
SLEEP MASK: This + earplugs = awesome power nap time! Sometimes you just need a disco nap.
PEN AND PAPER: Handy if you want to take notes old school style. You never know when you’ll need it. Also good for writing on the back of business cards.
COMFORT ITEMS: Chapstick, band-aids, travel size lotion bottles, extra hair ties (if you have long hair), sanitizing hand-gel (Purell travel size), tissues/napkins, floss (for post-BBQ cleanup), breath mints/gum, eye drops, vitamins/Emergen-C, stain stick and handi-wipes (for sticky BBQ messes), and Woolite single wash packets, in case you need to hand wash something. The hand sanitizer is especially handy if you find yourself at an outdoor party with BBQ and only porta-potties during the Music Fest.
SNACKS: If you’re flying, bring some food for the plane. Also consider bringing snacks that are portable, healthy, and non-perishable. Don’t forget that SXSW is a blur of beer, BBQ, and tacos, so some fruits and veggies will be in order at some point. Bring dried fruit, nuts, granola, trail mix, instant oatmeal, apples, oranges, crackers, other things to nosh on, just in case. You probably shouldn’t eat only queso and brisket the entire time you’re there, and you’ll be pressed for time, often. The food in the Convention Center’s tradeshow area...leaves something to be desired. Bonus: if you have a room with a fridge (I think you can get them for a small fee at the Hilton) or kitchenette, visit the Whole Foods (via cab or Dillo) and pick up some healthy snacks and water.
WATER: Stay hydrated. You’re going to be drinking, talking, standing, walking, and more. Drink lots of water, especially if you’re spending a lot of time at open bars. Of which, you’ll probably be doing a lot, so pace yourself. If you’re flying, have an empty water bottle for the plane, so you can get through US security at the airport, and then fill it up later.
MEDICATION: Claritin. Nose sprays. Eye drops. More tissues. It’s springtime in Austin, and that means allergies, thanks to ragweed. Note: there is a CVS on Congress and 5th Street, but the pharmacy is only open Mondays through Fridays, 8:00am-6:00pm. This particular CVS location is also closed on Sundays.
MONEY: The average tourist spends $24 a day in Austin. You’ll probably spend more if you’re eating, drinking, and parking or taking cabs. That convention center latte isn’t going to be cheap either. Have lots of small bills on hand and don’t forget to tip the waitstaff! They have to put up with tens of thousands of tourists in their town for 11 days straight.
A COAT AND FLEXIBLE CLOTHING: Dress in layers. Bring a light jacket or sweatshirt, because SXSW can get quite chilly at night, and the Convention Center is highly air conditioned! Austin spring is very unpredictable. It might be hot and humid the whole time you’re there, or it might be overcast and drizzling. Dress code tends towards the casual but hip. Pack accordingly.
RAIN PLAN: An umbrella or rain poncho, in case of sudden thunderstorms. Yes, it does happen! And it’s not pretty, especially if you’re at an outdoor show and it starts hailing on the band playing.
HUMOR, PATIENCE, AND A SMILE: Please don’t forget these at home. Be friendly. And know that even if you didn’t get into that one panel, party, screening, show, or club, there’s plenty of fun elsewhere during SXSW.

TO DO AS SOON AS YOU GET TO AUSTIN

BREATHE: in that sweet Texas air! Mmmm.
LODGINGS: Go check into your hotel as soon as possible. Drop your bags off.
REGISTER: Go stand in line at the Convention Center to get your badge as soon as possible (lines will get long, heinously long) and bring a pen or something to fill out the registration form.
GET THE BAG: Go get your “big bag” of conference materials (this is heavy, and filled with swag), go back to the hotel, and empty it out. I usually take out the conference guides/schedules, the Austin Chronicle, and party invites, and leave the rest for *cough* later. The pocket guides are key to SXSW survival. You can fill up your iCal all you want, but sometimes, you need the pocket guide. Don’t lose it! They run out every year. Interactive attendees, be sure to look inside the Conference Guide for a special note from Bruce Sterling who unfortunately cannot make it to SXSWi this year. Platinum badgeholders, note that the SXSW Music pocket guides and materials often aren’t ready until a few days into the Interactive/Film conferences.
BREATHE AGAIN: Take a nap or grab a quiet beer before the insanity starts.
GET THE PAPER: Going to SXSW Music? If you don’t have a music badge, make sure you have a copy of the Austin Chronicle (Austin’s free alt-weekly) as they’ll have the entire showcase schedule printed up inside. This can easily be removed, and folded up. Also don’t forget to cut off the “tail” of your wristband.
GET READY: Expect exhaustion—relax when you get home! You can always sleep on the plane. Right?
GO: And most importantly be ready to: have fun, introduce yourself to strangers, to sleep too little, eat far too well, listen a whole bunch, think so hard your brain hurts, get way too excited, mix and mingle with tons of fascinating people, trade business cards, put names to faces to URLs, take a lot of photographs, drink lots of Shiner or Lone Star or Red Stripe or what have you, rock out, smile until your face hurts, make bundles of new friends, expand your blogroll like nobody’s business, fill up your brain with all sorts of new ideas, talk too much, see a lot of exciting and cool and inspiring things, have a ton of fun, and network like you’ve never done before.

Austin, here we come!

Free Tickets to IFC Crossroads Party: My Morning Jacket and Yo La Tengo

2008-03-03T22:19:00Z

Want free tickets to IFC Crossroads Party: featuring My Morning Jacket and Yo La Tengo? It’s happening Tuesday, March 11, at The Parish, at 10:00pm, and you don’t need a Film badge to attend. It’s a completely free show and features an open bar.

How do you get tickets? On Monday, March 10th, you may receive your free ticket at Waterloo Records, located on 600 A. North Lamar. One ticket per person while supplies last. Space is limited. You must be 21+ to attend. Only 400 free tickets will be given away. Good luck!

Pocket Guide, Big Bag

2008-03-03T19:50:00Z

“Why is there no SXSW calendar for my chosen PDA?”
“Why can’t I get this SXSWi schedule on Outlook?”
“How do I get the entire conference schedule on my phone’s calendar?”

You may be asking all these questions, and more as you prep for SXSW.

Well, here’s four words why it really matter all that much: pocket guide, big bag.

If you’ve never been to SXSW before, those words may not make any sense, so let’s explain ‘em.

The Big Bag is a canvas tote given out to all SXSW registrants and filled with promotional materials: CDs, magazines, pens, flashlights, guitar picks, weird caffeine packets, earplugs, brochures, flyers, and coupones. There are three different totes for Music, Film and Interactive, and each one is imprinted with a unique design that changes every year. In previous years, the Big Bags have been graced by artwork from David Byrne, Sam Brown of explodingdog.com, and South Park’s Troy Parker and Matt Stone. Big Back pickup should be your first stop after your get your badge. The #1 item you should grab from each Big Bag is the pocket guide.

And the Pocket Guide? Sure, you can download iCal version of the entire SXSW schedule and put it on your phone, or write up some crazy code to scrape the entire SXSW.com site and turn it into a shared Google Calendar, or figure out some bizarre Outlook or Treo hack. But here’s a simpler solution.

The Pocket Guide. It will save your life. There’s one for film, one for music, and one for interactive. For Interactive, you can have all the panels and parties at a glance, in a nice, professionally printed form. Bring this with you, everywhere. For film, you’ll get a nice grid view of all of the screenings happening. For music, you have a thick but small booklet with all official SXSW artist showcases to flip through. Much better than a bunch of 8.5” x 11” printouts, and easier to read than hunching over your phone or some flimsy newsprint.

Paper! What a wonderful technology. And doesn’t drain your battery life, or fall down if you can’t get online. Bonus: Look for a PDF of the Pocket Guide on the SXSW Interactive website this week as a preview.

Update: You can download the film schedule grid as a PDF from the Austin Chronicle.

Pocket guide photograph by mac steve / Michael N, under a Creative Commons license.

SXSW 2007 = $95 Million in Revenue For Austin, Texas

2008-03-03T13:25:00Z

A new study commissioned by SXSW, said that in 2007, the SXSW Interactive, Music, and Film Festivals brought in $95 million to Austin combined. The numbers come from the total amount of money spent by 21,000 badge holders for all three conferences, 7,300 musicians participating in the Music Festival, and 7,600 Music Festival wristband holders. In addition, the report also accounts for the money spent by the other 87,000 members of the public who bought individual tickets and/or spent money at the Music Festival showcases, the Film Festival screenings, the Town Lake Stage free concerts, the Flatstock poster convention, and the Screenburn video arcade. Over 123,000 people attended some part of SXSW last year in 2007, according to SXSW.

SXSWers spent an estimated $18 million in food and drink (lots of drink, too, I’m guessing), $12 million on hotels and lodging, and $7 million in transportation and getting around Austin, according to News 8. SXSW says that music venue revenues see an increase on the average of 45% over their next highest month, during SXSW. And official SXSW Hotels for 2007 saw 27,159 room nights booked!

Want to learn more? The South Austin Business Chamber is hosting a discussion on economic impact of SXSW on Austin businesses. John Rees of Angelou Economics and Mike Shea of SXSW will discuss the results of the Angelou Economics study. The discussion takes place at the Alamo Drafthouse South, on Tuesday, March 4 at 11:30am. The cost is $20 for South Austin Business Chamber members and $35 for non-members.

Open and Free to the Public SXSW Events

2008-03-02T15:53:00Z

Once again, SXSW is hosting a number of free and open to the public events at the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center located at 1165 Angelina Street (map).

Friday, March 7 (Interactive)

5:00 - 6:00pm, Pro Gamers: New Extreme Athletes of the 21st Century

Sunday, March 9 (Film)

1:00 - 3:00pm, Filmmaking 101: Getting Your Foot in the Door
3:30pm - 5:15pm, Houston’s Finest: The Films of Greg Carter: Water’s Rising
5:15pm - 7:00pm, Houston’s Finest: The Films of Greg Carter: Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story

Saturday, March 15 (Music)

11:00 am - 12:20 pm, I Love Hip Hop In Morocco
12:45 pm -2:00 pm, Screening of Slingshot Hip Hop—Hip Hop in Palestine
2:30 pm - 3:00pm, Performance by World Trade
3:30 pm - 4:30pm, Hip Hop, Politics & The Ever Changing Music Business
5:00pm - 5:30pm: Performance by Terel Shahid

Learn more about the free SXSW events at the Carver Center.

There’s also a bunch of free and open to the public stuff happening at the Austin Convention Center in conjunction with SXSW:

The Arcade at ScreenBurn: Now in its third year, the Screenburn Festival shows off the latest innovations and future directions of the gaming industry with a mix of panel discussions and the ScreenBurn Arcade. The Festival runs concurrently with SXSW Interactive, March 7–11 and requires an Interactive, Gold or Platinum registration; the Arcade is set up at the Convention Center March 8–9 and is free to the public.
Flatstock: Co-presented by SXSW and the American Poster Institute, Flatstock brings together works by music poster artists from around the world, representing all sorts of artistic styles and music genres. More than 100 exhibitors will offer their works for sale at the 16th annual event this year, March 13–15 in Exhibit Hall #4 of the Austin Convention Center. Admission is free.
DirecTV SXSW Live: DirecTV is sponsoring live musical performances at the Austin Convention Center which will also be broadcast on DirecTV. Tickets are free and available at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW Music. Artists performing include Sia, X, The Lemonheads, and Ryan Cabrera.
Free Music at Town Lake Stage at Auditorium Shores: Each year SXSW holds free-to-the-public, charity beneficiary concert events at Auditorium Shores. The Town Lake Stage concerts bring tens-of-thousands of music fans to Auditorium Shores each year (more than 32,000 attendees in 2007). Artists performing include Talib Kweli, Spoon, and Del the Funky Homosapien.

A sched.org Update: Now with Calendar Support!

2008-03-01T12:55:00Z

Those geniuses at sched.org have already responded to their #1 feature request: calendaring. You can now export your sched.org schedules to iCal or Google Calendar. Note: sched.org is crawling the official SXSW.com site for updates each day, but if something changes about the event, it is dropped from your saved calendar.

Interactive Playpen is Back!

2008-02-29T23:52:00Z

The Interactive Playpen is back! Past SXSW attendees will remember the giant pile of legos and toys just inside the Austin Convention Center’s doors, by the escalators.

It’s a nice place for kids of all ages to relax, build something awesome, and meet new friends during SXSW. Last year I even spied keynote speaker Will Wright building something interesting. The playpen exists courtesy of Susan Kaup (better known as Sooz) and Ryan Gantz. Well, the playpen’s creators are bringing it back again for 2008, and this time with prizes!

Win a free t-shirt. Simply upload a photograph of your beautiful Lego creation and tag it with the appropriate Flickr tag to enter the contest. The fun runs from March 7 through March 16, throughout the duration of SXSWeek and you can “party like a blockstar.” I can’t wait to see what people build this time around.

Slackerwood’s Guide to Film Venues

2008-02-29T18:19:00Z

Slackerwood has an updated guide to Film venues for people attending the SXSW Film Festival. The venues guide breaks down the pros and cons of each theatre, as well as parking availability, free wireless internet options, restaurants nearby each venue, and more tips and tricks from the perspective of an Austin local. I agree 100% with this warning to attendees: you can’t walk between all the SXSW Film venues and you shouldn’t try.